How It All Began: A Wife's Survival or Revenge

| September/October 1992

A peek inside the IHC memorabilia display.

Country Relics Little Village and 'Homestead was derived
from the collections of the wife of a gas engine and tractor
collector. The replicated little village is furnished to the finest
detail with small sized collectibles, children's furnishings,
salesmen's samples, and toys in the era of the early 1900s.

Varlen Carlson's collections began with gas engines and full
sized tractors nearly 40 years ago. His collection includes mostly
engines, tractors and memorabilia related to the five companies
which merged in 1902 to form the International Harvester Company :
1) McCormick Harvesting Machine; 2) Deering Harvester; 3) Milwaukee
Harvester; 4) Warder, Bushnell & Glesner; and 5) Piano
Harvester.

The Carlsons are as surprised as most everyone else, and are at
a loss for words to explain how they ended up with a complete
village in their backyard. What started out as a playhouse for the
grandchildren became, as noted by Carlson, 'a hobby that got
out of hand.'

On September 26, 1992, the Country Relics Little Village and
Homestead will host its first annual, scaled model of yesteryear
threshing bee in keeping with the village's diminutive sizing.
If you are interested in forming an association for scale models of
yesteryear or know of others who might be, plan now to join this
one-of-a-kind event, located at Country Relics Little Village and
Homestead.

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Country Relics Little Village and Homestead is located on Iowa
Highway 17, 1? miles north of Stanhope, 10 miles south of Webster
City, or 12 miles west of Interstate 35, Exit 133. Contact: Fern
& Varlen Carlson, Proprietors (515)826-3491.

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